Yu Yu Hakusho: Shinobi Files
by x se
Summary: Naruto died when facing Kabuto. Except he was supposed to live, so the Reikai had nowhere to put him. He decides to take the test to come back to life, which eventually leads him to becoming… Spirit Detective. NaruHina
1. Goodbye Material World! Part 1

Yu Yu Hakusho: Shinobi Files

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Naruto.  
Note: Enjoy. Updates will come when written.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto stared. What was going on…? He looked down at his body. Was it his body?

His day had been somewhat simple so far. He had worked himself to exhaustion, and woken up in the bed of Shizune. She informed him that Tsunade was going to face Orochimaru. They had gone after her, meeting up with a drugged Jiraiya along the way.

While the three Sannin faced off, Naruto fought Kabuto. He had won, sort of. Kabuto had regenerated his injuries so what would have been life-threatening ended up being minimal damage. Under orders, Kabuto charged at him with the sword Orochimaru tossed him.

He had been fighting Kabuto, to protect the baa-chan. It seemed now the fight was over. They had been victorious, but…

Naruto's eyes widened.

He was dead.

"Does that make me a ghost…?" wondered Naruto. It would explain the floating over his bloody corpse pretty darn well.

"Ding ding ding!" exclaimed a voice. Naruto turned, no, floated around to see a woman with light blue hair and violet eyes in a pink kimono with a blue sash, floating on an oar. "You caught on quicker than I thought you would."

"…" Naruto stared blankly at this strange woman, glaring at her. No need for his mask when he was dead. So he couldn't become Hokage. He died with honor, protecting on of his precious people. But, it sucked to be dead though. It _really_ sucked…

Great. There goes his good attitude.

"Most people don't get the idea after accidents like this." Continued the woman. "They can't grasp their death, can't rest in piece, and become restless ghosts!"

"Who… Or what…" started Naruto. "The hell are you?"

"Botan, guide to the River Styx, at your service." Said the woman cheerfully. "I have a lot of names, but they all mean death I suppose. Nice to meet'cha."

Naruto gave her a blank stare, then a look that read: "Do I look stupid to you?"

"Hey, lady…" growled Naruto. "What do you mean 'Nice to meet'cha'?"

"Now don't try to stare down the messenger of the underworld…" warned the woman, Botan.

"Look, I'm dead and not feeling all that good about, though I died with a good cause…" Naruto shook his head and crossed his legs, floating in front of the woman. "Why aren't you all grave and gloomy like you're supposed to be? I mean, 'Ding ding ding'? Please…"

Botan, however, seemed to find this very funny. She laughed.

"I see by the grade book you're just how _you're_ supposed to be!" laughed Botan cheerfully. "Hee hee! No wonder you don't respect me, let alone _fear_ me!"

Naruto glared. Then again, the afterlife most likely would know about his mask. Even Iruka-sensei was fooled by his mask. Botan pulled something out of her kimono before the nin could continue his thoughts.

"Uzumaki Naruto, 12 ½ years old. Crude, violent, impatient, and reckless. Has sticky fingers and a stupid brain." Said Botan, grinning all the while. "Fights, plays tricks, and wears a false mask of happiness, never letting anyone close. Failed graduation exams three times."

Botan looked at the small black book she had and raised her eyebrows.

"Wow…" said Botan. "Few losses to anyone, obviously. Ooh… You did _that_ too?"

"Can we just move on?" yelled Naruto, as he floated behind the supposed envoy to the next world and glanced at the long list of pranks and tricks he had done. The person below him had a paragraph, he had over a page, at least.

Naruto glanced down and noticed everyone was gone.

"By the way, what happened to baa-chan and everyone else…?" wondered Naruto. "Are they alright?"

"So, even in death, you're loyal to your 'Precious People', ne?" Botan smiled. "Let's go see."

* * *

Naruto smiled as he saw Tsunade and Jiraiya enter a bar, Shizune carrying a corpse running to a hotel. So, they were going to cremate him back in Konoha.

"Okay then… So they're alright…"Naruto shook his head, smiling grimly, and turned to Botan.

"…" Botan stared at Naruto, who was floating lower to the ground. She smiled softly.

"So am I, y' know? I have no regrets." Naruto smiled. "I may not have been able to become Hokage, but… So, Botan was it? Might as well take me to hell, or wherever 'm going."

Botan stared, before bursting into giggles.

"What's so funny?" asked Naruto, glaring at the blue haired spirit woman.

"You've got the wrong idea. I'm not here to take you _anywhere_." Said Botan, holding her pointer finger up. "I'm here to see if you're interested in taking the test to come back to life."

"Test…?" Naruto blinked. "Come back to life…?"

Naruto crossed his arms, but he didn't close his eyes. That was his mask. He wasn't going to wear it anymore.

"What're you talking about?" asked Naruto, cross legged and curious.

"Hmm…" Botan put her finger to her lips. "How should I put it…"

"Yes…?" asked Naruto impatiently. If he hadn't been floating, he'd be tapping his feet.

"Maybe this way will do… Your death was… Unexpected, in the spirit world…" started Botan. "Not even Enma-sama had any idea you would use all of your energy to save that woman. So… There's no place for you in hell of heaven."

"No… Frickin' place for me?" exclaimed Naruto angrily. "You're saying me dying to save the baa-chan wasn't on your schedule?"

"Well, I wasn't going to tell you this, since it would only bum you out…" Botan looked in her book and laughed nervously. "But that woman was going to recover a little after you _would_ have passed out, having not used all your energy. In fact, all of you would be fine by tomorrow!"

"Huh…?" stammered Naruto. "Without… A scratch…?"

"Yeah, so much as I hate to say this…" Botan scratched her cheek. "Your death was totally pointless!"

Botan laughed heartily.

"Yeah, I'd feel pretty terrible about it too." Botan stifled more giggles as Naruto face faulted in mid air, before floating back up to her. "Instead of everyone being fine, the woman got a scar on her arm and you _die_! Nice work, moron!"

_Moron! Pointless death!_

Naruto twitched, before moved to punch Botan.

"Now calm down! Death isn't always permanent!" exclaimed Botan. "Not in _your_ case anyway. You can take the test I mentioned."

"…" Naruto looked at her.

"I'm told this sort of thing crops up now and then, about every 100 years on average. And really, I'm as new to the idea as you are." Said Botan thoughtfully, brushing some hair away from her ear. "You won't rest in peace in your current state, that's for sure."

Naruto turned away from Botan and looked over the ground.

"I can't say what the test is, but you have nothing to lose by taking it." Continued Botan. "It's not a bad idea if you think about it."

"… Nah, I'll pass." Said Naruto thoughtfully.

"Huh?" said Botan blankly, flipping through her book to the section of dreams. This boy had many.

"Can't see anything wrong with being a ghost." Said Naruto thoughtfully, crossing his arms behind his head. What he was about to say was hard, but now, he accepted it. "What would I amount to if I came back to life anyway?"

"Gee." Said Botan blankly, staring down at Naruto from on her oar.

"No one I know is gonna miss me. Iruka-sensei will get over it. No one else cared." Naruto sighed. "They'd just curse their luck if I came back."

Naruto smiled darkly.

"Iruka-sensei's still young, even for a good ninja like him." Continued Naruto. "Without having to do stuff for me all the time, he might actually get a girlfriend, maybe married. Times are like that, getting married at 18 and stuff."

"So fatalistic… You're barely 13?" Botan sighed. "Think about it while you attend your wake. You can give me your answer afterwards. Just call, I'll know."

"…" Naruto closed his eyes and entered his mindscape. Might as well ask the bastard fox about this.

Naruto gasped from inside his own mind.

Kyuubi was gone.

End Chapter1


	2. Goodbye Material World! Part 2

_Yu Yu Hakusho: Shinobi Files_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Naruto. Enjoy this chapter._

* * *

Umino Iruka stared blankly as a few people, some of the younger ninja, some others had come. Mostly villagers though.

'Hey, some kids who didn't pass the academy…' thought Naruto as he floated above the small house that was Iruka's. Surprisingly, it was far messier than his own. Then Naruto saw the academy students. He scowled when he saw what they were doing. 'What the… I'm dead and they're _laughing_?'

Naruto's eyebrows shot up when he saw a teammate of his friend Lee, TenTen, along with a somewhat teary Sakura and Ino, trying to calm down a sobbing Hinata, who Naruto had briefly gotten to know over a bowl of ramen he made her eat. He had dragged her to the ramen stand when he saw her wandering around alone and looking a bit hungry.

'Hinata…' Naruto was shocked. That was a teary face like Sakura, that was full blown sobbing.

"Naruto-kun!" screamed Hinata, louder than she had ever spoken in her life. "Why? Why…?"

Naruto stared at her and felt pain, in his chest. He glanced. It was where his heart was. Or should be, but did ghosts have hearts? His thoughts were interrupted by another voice.

"Naruto-kun…"

Naruto's eyes widened when he saw the next people who had come.

"Shizune-nee-chan…" murmured Naruto. "Tsunade-baa-chan…"

"Naruto you bastard!" yelled a drunken Tsunade. "You tell me all that crap about protecting people, and then you die on me!"

"T-Tsunade-sama…" stammered Shizune, attempting to pull the drunk woman back. "Please stop this…"

"NO!" yelled Tsunade, walking over to the casket. "You stupid, stupid child! I could have taken care of myself, but you just _had_ to die, didn't you?"

"Tsunade-sama…" stammered Shizune, slightly more sternly than before.

"Why?" yelled Tsunade as tears streamed down her face. "I though I had found a little brother in you… Why…?"

Tsunade fell before the casket, visibly shaking with sobs, and Shizune said a quick prayer before pulling Tsunade away.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun…" whispered Shizune as she left.

'Don't thank me ya nut…' thought Naruto angrily, upset at seeing all of this occur. "I… I didn't do anything worth anyone's thanks!"

"Who were they?" asked one of the academy teachers. The Hokage had skipped doing an inauguration and instead voted for a funeral. He would be cremated in a few days, and his name would be added to the monument of those who died the day after. For his body's protection, it would be moved to Tsunade's office till then.

"Apparently, the demon used to hang around with them." Responded Hyuuga Hiashi. "The Hokage. Feh, she likes the demon. I don't see how the Council allowed anyone who thinks that _scum_ is human to become Hokage. She's scum as well…"

"Of course…" growled the academy teacher darkly. "Their kind doesn't respect _anything_. Well, at least he died before he could influence anyone anymore. Maybe we can finally have a good town now…"

"Personally, I think he _told_ Orochimaru where everyone was. Treacherous demon!" exclaimed a third man, walking over.

"More than likely…" agreed the academy teacher.

'Urgh… Those creeps are twisting things around…' growled Naruto mentally. He was surprised when two slightly wrinkled hands pulled back Hiashi and the teacher, the third man running being grabbed by a younger hand.

"Taking from what Tsunade-sama just did…" growled Kakashi menacingly. "And what you just said… Which was truly lacking in respect?"

'Kakashi-sensei… Ero-sennin…' Naruto stared at the two newcomers. They walked into the apartment and up to Iruka. They bowed, before going to Naruto's casket. A picture of him giving a silly grin and some candles sat above it.

"Naruto… When I heard what you did…" started Kakashi as Jiraiya finished his prayer and left. "I… Was proud. But… I feel guilty. I have no right to praise you. I was never your teacher, not really… Yet… Somehow I'm unable to praise you for saving the Hokage…"

Kakashi got up, made a vow to teach his remaining students equally from now on, and headed off.

Iruka still stared blankly at a wall.

"Naruto…" whispered Iruka, before his head fell in-between his legs. His body shook with stifled sobs. "Naruto…"

'Iruka-sensei…' thought Naruto sadly, staring at the man.

Naruto looked surprised when a mini-Hinata with longer hair walked up to his casket, and attempted to kick it, but stopped herself beforehand.

"I don't know you." said the girl plainly. "My name is Hyuuga Hanabi. I'm stronger than my sister, because she can't draw on her strength."

Hanabi clenched her fists.

"But whenever father would mention you, she would flare up. She'd beat me, easily, right till the end and become shy and weak again…" Hanabi looked at the ground. "She was happy when she watched you. She says your name in her sleep. Now she's going to get weaker and cry. I'll take care of her now, but so help me, if you come back to life, I'll kick your ass, wrap up your remains and give them to nee-chan."

Hanabi successfully tapped the casket with her foot.

"Jerk." Hanabi crossed her small arms and walked past her sobbing older sister. Only Naruto saw the small pat on the back Hanabi gave her sister. Only Naruto saw the single tear of sympathy fall from the girl's eye.

"Naruto-san!" yelled a voice. Naruto turned, surprised, to see none other than Rock Lee. "How could you die, Naruto-san?"

People stared, wide eyed at Lee. He was different today. But then again, due to his skills and odd looks, no one but Naruto had ever tried to befriend him. But his eyebrows were thinner today, and his hair was in a ponytail again.

"Get out of that coffin Naruto-san!" yelled the (also) slightly drunk Lee. "You told me, before you left, that though my self-challenges were a good idea, relying on youth was too much like relying on fate and destiny! You showed me the right path, and now you die! Come out and show all of us you live! I will have Tsunade-sama perform the surgery, just... Please come out!"

"Lee…" Maito Gai walked over and pulled his saddened student away from the wake.

"Heh heh…" laughed Naruto, touched nonetheless. "What a brain case. First 'youth this' 'youth that' and now he wants to raise the dead…"

"Mommy?" said a little boy that Naruto had played with once, along with Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon. The mother of the child turned to her son. "Why was that boy inside the box?"

The woman blinked. She was one of the few that understood the difference between Naruto and the Kyuubi. She understood, and guilt filled her to the core. She could have made him a little happy, she ran a dango stand. Her husband didn't care for the boy, and he ran a barbecue shop. She could have given him a meal every so often, a stick of dango…

"Was he sleeping?" asked the boy, smiling brightly.

"Y-Yes…" stammered the woman. "He was…"

"Kaa-san!" exclaimed the boy happily. "We should come back when he's out of the box!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked at the small boy and his mother. She was… Crying for him?

"That way I can thank him for bringing us the new Hokage-sama!" added the boy, hoping he would get to see the silly man again.

"We… Can't do that…" stammered the woman.

"Why?" asked the boy curiously.

"We just can't…" repeated the woman as she knelt down and embraced her son, tears falling silently from her eyes. "We can't…"

"How come?" asked the boy, though somewhat hesitantly since the subject seemed to be upsetting his mother.

"We can't just…" stammered the mother.

Naruto looked back at his wake. He saw the retreating form of Rock Lee. He saw Hyuuga Hinata, and the tears cascading uncontrollably down her face. Each tear sliced him inside. He wanted, even if only for a moment, so badly to walk over there and wipe those tears away. He didn't understand why. But he knew what he had to do…

"Hey… Botan…" Naruto nodded to himself and waited for a response.

"Speaking!" chirped the seemingly ever-happy spirit woman. "What's up?"

Naruto looked over Iruka's house and came to a decision, one that he could not change. He looked at the boy and his mother. He looked at Jiraiya. He looked at Kakashi, Sakura, and even Sasuke looked somewhat saddened. He looked at Lee. He looked at Hinata.

He knew what decision he would make now. A decision that he no longer wanted to change.

"I've decided…" Botan felt a smile tugging at her lips as Naruto shivered, despite being a ghost that was always at fair temperature. "…"

"Yes…?" said Botan, wondering if maybe she had been wrong. But now she was curious!

"I've decided to take this test of yours… But." Botan knew it wasn't time to celebrate yet.

"Yes…?" asked Botan. "'But' what?"

"Tell me where the bastard fox went." Commanded Naruto. "Where is Kyuubi?"

He hadn't thought about the fox much, mainly because in worry, he had fainted and woken up in time for his wake. He had decided, in true genius fashion, to worry about it later.

Botan laughed nervously.

"You see, the youkai that was sealed inside you…" stammered Botan. "The soul and most of it's power was lost between life and death, and was sent sixteen years into the past… But without a body if that calms you any bit…"

"Ah… Well, I can't do anything…" said Naruto. "So the fox shouldn't be able to either, right?"

Botan smiled and decided to tell him later.

"Right. Shall we go?"

"Whatever."

End Chapter 2


	3. Test for Resurrection!

Yu Yu Naruto

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto  
Notes: Okay, first off, Naruto will basically live through the whole show. However, there will be some differences that are worth reading. Anyhoo, here's the next chapter.

EDIT: On one sentance I used "Yusuke" instead of "Naruto". Sorry about the confusion.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto, 12 ½ years old. An inept shinobi delinquent who died using every ounce of his energy, saving some lady who would have lived anyway. Though pointless, it was a brave act not even the Reikai, or Spirit World, had foreseen. In consideration of this, he's been given a chance to come back to life. 

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" yelled Naruto, flailing his feet as he used both hands to grip onto the end of Botan's oar. It seemed Botan's oar had speed levels, and right now it was on _fast_. "WHERE ARE WE GOING?"

"The to Reikai, of course…" explained Botan, the blue haired envoy to the next world. "Where're you'll meet the person who's going to explain the test."

"Yeah?" growled Naruto as they stopped going fast and floated before a large black area in the sky, surrounded by swirling gray clouds. "He wants to talk to me, he can come here. Who _is_ he anyway?"

"Enma-sama, lord of Reikai." Said Botan plainly, and something began to appear in the distance.

"Wha…?" stammered Naruto.

"Listen here pal!" exclaimed Botan, holding up a single finger. "Rude and loud may be your middle names, but you better be nice or he'll forget all about the test and throw you into the deepest section of hell!"

"Forget _that_, I'm going home!" exclaimed Naruto, turning around.

"Don't be an imbecile…" chided Botan. "There's the entrance. Hang on!"

'She didn't say hang on before…' thought Naruto dryly as he hugged the end of the oar close to him. "WHA?"

"Just a couple more seconds…" said Botan, as if going a million miles a second (in Naruto's opinion anyway) was an everyday thing. "Here we are…"

"Wow… Sugoi…" murmured Naruto in awe. There was a river, surrounded by mountains and clouds, that seemed to go on forever.

"_That_ is the River Styx…" said Botan, giggling lightly at Naruto's amazed look. He hadn't even praised the heavens when she had slowed down, just stared at the river. "And this is the gate of judgement."

Naruto gulped and decided to repeat himself as he stared at the giant entrance, along with the huge wall that went on both sides.

"Sugoi…" murmured Naruto. Then Botan's words came to mind.

"You better be nice or he'll forget all about the test and throw you into the deepest section of hell!"

'Damn…' thought Naruto darkly. "How can I beat him?"

Naruto imagined the giant being that would most likely be Enma.

'I guess I'm screwed if I try to fight him.' Naruto looked thoughtful. "Wait a minute… Maybe if I summon Gama-Oyabun, he could give him a good kick in the face. While he's stunned, I could run around him and make some clones, and have all of them use 1000 Years of Pain!"

"What are you mumbling about?" questioned Botan blankly. Naruto blinked and waved his arms nervously.

"Nothing, nothing…" stammered the boy.

"I see…" said Botan, and after seeing his record, knew very well it was a lie. She turned to some kind of speaker and pushed a button. Naruto realized it was an intercom, something he had seen in the Hokage tower. "Botan here. I've brought Uzumaki Naruto."

"Come in." said the voice on the other end. The door in front of Naruto and Botan slowly began to open.

Naruto began to imagine perhaps a giant room, with Enma seated atop the throne that went higher than the tower of the Hokage. However, these visions slowly disappeared when he heard yells and clatters.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Naruto in shock, jumping back.

"Gen on Block Two is in critical condition!"

"What? He's ahead of schedule!"

"Hey, two more over here!"

"Over here!"

"Sign this sir, hurry!"

"This is like when Hokage-jii-chan got back from that vacation…" murmured Naruto, and chuckled at the memory of Sarutobi slackjawed at all the people running around his office. Of course, in _this_ situation, they were differently colored ogres in tiger striped loincloths.

"Quite a show, isn't it?" questioned a voice. Naruto turned to what looked like an important office. But this was based off the fact that all the ogres were running around cubicles and this was another room entirely.

"Huh?" said Naruto blankly, seeing no one seated at the chair behind the desk. Botan shooed him into the office before closing the door.

"Oh, sir!" exclaimed Botan. "Quite a mess out there!"

"Yes it is." Agreed the voice. Then, a baby of all things hopped on top of the table. He had a miniature light blue gi, a white bib, a blue pacifier, and a large hat that had an important symbol on it, along with the letters "Jr", signifying "Junior".

"_This_ is Uzumaki Naruto, sire!" exclaimed Botan breathlessly. The baby nodded.

"Howdy, make yourself at home." Said the baby, motioning to the two chairs in front of his desk. Naruto dimly nodded and sat down, Botan bowing and doing the same. "Phew, all this work's got us going 27-7."

"He's Enma…?" stammered Naruto. Hell, he wouldn't even do 50 Years of Pain to a _baby_! 50 Years of Pain was a technique he developed, which poked the enemy's eyes with one hand.

Naruto had one response to this new discovery. Bursting out into hysterical laughter.

"You're kidding!" exclaimed Naruto in-between laughs.

"And **_what_** do you find so funny?" exclaimed Botan furiously.

"This little guy is _Enma_? I was getting worried there, and this is all he is?" laughed Naruto. "Heck, he's smaller than Konohamaru!"

"Enma is my _father_. I am Koenma." Growled the baby with a frown. "You should also know I'm over 100 times older than you. So don't get uppity."

"Look's like you're still in diapers." Remarked Naruto.

"Revere and bow before me." Replied Koenma. Just then, one ogre walked in and left a stack of papers on Koenma's desk.

"More documents awaiting your signature Koenma-sama." Said the ogre, before walking out. Koenma sighed.

"It never ends…" muttered Koenma. The baby-God shook his head and reached his hand into his gi, before producing something. "Uzumaki Naruto, the test you must take is…"

Koenma produced a golden egg. Naruto stared blankly at it, knowing not to underestimate small things. After all, there was that time that doll was actually a bomb. And that time that Sasuke's comb was rigged with small tanks, extremely small tanks, of poisonous gas.

"You must safely hatch the egg and raise the hatchling." Explained Koenma.

"What kind of egg is it?" asked Naruto curiously, looking over the stacks of paper to the small egg in the baby's hand.

"This is a demon of spirit world, a Reiyoukai. We just refer to them as Spirit Beasts." Explained Koenma. "You don't have to sit on it or anything, just keep it with you at all times."

"Okay…" Naruto nodded. "How long till it hatches?"

"120 years usually." Said Koenma dully.

"Oh." Naruto looked at the egg, and then Botan. "Well, it's pointless if all my precious people are gonna be dead, so are you gonna take me to hell or something now?"

"Baka. I said _usually_." Said Koenma angrily, holding up a finger. "This is a special circumstance, so have patience."

* * *

It was much later that Botan and Naruto were floating above Konoha, Naruto looking at the egg in his hands. Naruto was thinking of Koenma's last words before he told them to leave. 

"_Your heart has already begun beating again. But as for you actually returning to your body, that is entirely up to you."_

"… So when this egg hatches, I return to life…" said Naruto thoughtfully. "I don't get it. How long is this test Botan?"

"I have no idea." Replied Botan nervously, shrugging. But that was somewhat of a lie…

"_This is strictly between you and me Botan." Said Koenma, closing the door behind Naruto, who had gone to watch the ogres. "The embryo in that egg develops by feeding on the energy emitted from the human soul. It may become an angel or a devil, a peaceful creature or a destructive monster. All depending on the character of the soul holding it."_

_Botan was sitting on her oar, floating in font of Koenma's desk. Her leg was crossed over the other under her kimono, and her arms were crossed. _

"_If Naruto continues to emit evil energy… The creature will hatch and be a hideous monster…" warned Koenma. "A ghost is pure soul, so it will develop quickly. It won't be long before the beast emerges. It will be then that we'll know what to do."_

"…" _Botan simply stared at her boss, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs in the opposite position. "If the creature ends up a monster, you won't let him back into his body?"_

"_No. I'll let him return to it. I promised him that much I will do." Continued Koenma. "However, when he does return to life and the creature is evil, his body and soul will most likely be devoured by the creature he himself raised."_

Botan's thoughts were interrupted when Naruto started running, er, floating in circles and yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Naruto, what is it?" snapped Botan, then immediately blushed when Naruto froze and stared blankly at her. Her job was stressful, what could she say… "Ahem… What is it Naruto?"

"Botan, I just realized something very very bad!" exclaimed Naruto. "If nobody knows my heart's beating, then they'll cremate me! Is it possible for me to tell someone?"

"Sure." Replied Botan. "You just have to enter their dreams."

"You can do that?" asked Naruto. Botan nodded. "Sugoi! Being a ghost is cool!"

Botan shook her head and both spirits floated over to their first stop, Tsunade's office. When they arrived, the woman was clearly disheveled and drinking sake.

"Naruto, you baka!" screamed Tsunade. "You told me how great you were, that Hokage was our dream, and you die to that snake freak? Moron…"

Tsunade chugged a bottle of sake and wiped her lip, before opening another.

"…" Naruto stared. "Yeah, this won't work."

"Why?" questioned Botan. "In this state, she'll pass out any minute."

"No…" Naruto crossed his arms and shook his head. "Ero-sennin once told me they had a drinking contest that lasted two days. She can hold it, and she's probably trying for a record now."

"Do you know anyone else then?" asked Botan. "Anyone who could help you out?"

Naruto crossed his arms and thought deeply. He snapped his eyes open when he got an idea.

"Hinata!" exclaimed Naruto. He flew towards the general direction of the Hyuuga Compound, Botan flying behind him. Naruto floated into Hinata's room and saw her sleeping in a futon in the corner. His eyes widened when he saw her. 'She's… Crying…?'

Naruto suddenly felt himself enter Hinata's dream.

_Naruto-kun… Why did you die…? Why…?_

'You idiot…Don't cry…' thought Naruto as he floated over to her. 'Don't cry over something so stupid…'

"Mmm…" Hinata frowned in her sleep when Naruto plopped onto her stomach. "Mnnuh… Mnnuh…"

"Listen up Hinata, you're getting depressed over nothing! I'm not so weak that the snake bastard's pet could kill me!" yelled Naruto, looking at the adorable frown that as playing across Hinata's features. "My soul's got some business here in the afterlife, but then I'll be back! I have to be Hokage after all! If you need proof, open the casket and listen to my heart!"

"Mnnuh…" Hinata squirmed a little bit.

"And tell that drunk old baa-chan I'm alive, got it?" continued Naruto. He looked at Hinata, and wiped her tears away. "Well, that's all… So get a grip. It'll all be okay. I don't want you to cry anymore…"

"Naruto-kun!" exclaimed Hinata, sitting up in bed. 'Was it… A dream…?'

Hinata touched her cheek and her eyes widened. There was no wetness…

'My tears were wiped away… It wasn't a dream!' Hinata stood up.

"Tsunade-sama! Open the door, please!" yelled Hinata, banging on the door. The quiet girl needed to know, was it all a dream? Was Naruto-kun coming back to life?

"Eh… The Hyuuga girl… Hinata…" murmured Tsunade as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Tsunade-sama, you might not believe me, but…" Hinata gulped. "Naruto-kun came, I mean I saw…"

"Naruto?" Tsunade pointed behind her.

"What… What's wrong?" stammered Hinata.

"I don't… I mean, I opened up the casket to yell at him, and I saw about to flick him, when I saw his cheeks were rosy…" Tsunade smiled as a fear tears dropped. "His heart was beating… Naruto is alive! My little brother is alive…!"

Naruto and Botan floated over the two sobbing women as they embraced in happiness.

"… Hpmh." Naruto turned away. "I'm alive and they're actually glad. But I didn't even tell them if I could revive entirely or not."

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Y' know, it might be funny to break the egg on purpose, so I fail and my soul never returns…" said Naruto thoughtfully.

'Yeah, real funny…' thought Botan dryly. 'I really wonder if he's going to pass this test.'

Naruto was sitting with crossed arms and legs, floating towards some unknown destination as he drifted over Konoha. With a dry look on her face, Botan followed on her oar.

'I hope so, but if that egg hatched right now, I think we'd have a monster with a warped sense of humor on our hands…'

End Chapter 3


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